


Through the mirror

by LonelyAngel



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: 2010, 2018, Best Friends, Early Days, Humor, IKEA Furniture, Other, Parallel Universes, Platonic Relationships, Time Travel, old TØP, todays TØP, young!Tyler and Josh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-14
Updated: 2019-03-14
Packaged: 2019-11-18 01:16:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18110360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LonelyAngel/pseuds/LonelyAngel
Summary: No one told Tyler you could buy a portal to another universe at IKEA. Turns out you can travel through time with it, too.Basically 2010 Tyler and Josh are stuck in 2018.





	Through the mirror

**Author's Note:**

> This was sooo much fun to write, I really hope you enjoy!
> 
> fyi, the paragraphs that are written in italics are taking place in 2010.

While Josh was a strong believer in everything supernatural like aliens, ghosts and parallel universes, Tyler refused to believe in it. It wasn't rational and there was no proof, so why waste his time thinking about stuff that wasn't real?

Josh had tried to convince him multiple times that there had to be at least _something_ out there, but gave up when he realized how stubborn his friend could be.

Still, it was the only topic they didn't agree on. Besides that, there were on the same page with everything, which was probably the reason why they were best friends.

Today, there were out shopping. Tyler, who had moved into a house with his friends recently, needed a mirror for their bathroom.

Tyler had dragged Josh to IKEA, hoping to find a cheap one there. His budget was limited since he dropped out of college and worked full-time at a restaurant now.

"What do you think about this one?" Tyler asked, pointing at a very plain mirror hanging from the wall.

"It looks kinda boring." Josh lifted his beanie and scratched his head, before tucking his dark strands underneath the beanie again. "What about this one?" He gestured to a full length mirror leaning against the wall.

"Dude, that's way too expensive." Tyler rolled his eyes.

"Why do you need a mirror again?" Josh asked.

"Because my mom said I need to have one, even if it's just to see how messy my hair looks like." Tyler huffed and grabbed a window-sized mirror with a black frame, trying to lift it up.

"Dude, stop." Josh jumped forward when Tyler swayed, almost smashing the mirror against the wall. He grabbed it and saved Tyler from falling over.

"Thanks." Tyler sighed, rubbing his temples. "What about this one?"

"It looks good, I think. It would fit into your bathroom." Josh turned it around. "Look, it's a special offer. Probably because it's the only one left."

"That's amazing!" Tyler said. "Now we have some money left to grab something to eat before we drive home."

"Let me carry it. I'm way stronger than you." Josh said when Tyler tried to lift it up again.

"You're exaggerating." Tyler pouted. "I'm not that weak."

"Says the guy who complains when he has to carry a gallon of milk." Josh smirked and lifted the mirror up carefully.

Tyler huffed, but followed him to the exit. They paid for the mirror, ate a hot dog each and drove home in Josh's beat-up car.

 

Back at home, Tyler proudly showed his roommates what they had bought.

"Do you want me to help you with putting it up on the wall?" Josh asked.

"That would be great. I'm not very good with hammers." Tyler shrugged. "Are you sure you have time?"

Josh grinned. "Of course. Plus, I get to hang out with you a little longer."

"Oh no, a groupie." Tyler said jokingly. "I knew it. You only like me because I'm a celebrity."

"Keep on dreaming, Ty." Josh rolled his eyes. "You're not even close to fame."

"Ouch." Tyler grimaced. "But Nick, Chris and I have already played a few shows."

"You'll get there, I'm sure." Josh said as they walked to the bathroom. "Where do you want to have it?"

"Right above the sink, I guess." Tyler said. "I'll get the hammer and the nails."

 

It only took them about half an hour to hang up the mirror and Tyler was really happy with it.

"Are you going to sing in front of it?" Josh asked, grabbing a toothbrush and pretending to be a rock star, singing loudly. _"I'm not okay… I not ohhkayyy!"_

Tyler snatched the toothbrush from him. "That was terrible. Who are you, Gerard Way?"

"You're no fun. And you didn't answer my question." Josh said, crossing his arms.

"That's none of your business." Tyler said. "What do you want for dinner?"

Josh sighed. "Pizza would be great."

"Are you gonna stay here tonight?" Tyler asked, placing the toothbrush next to the sink and pulling his phone out of the pocket, dialing the number of the nearest pizzeria.

"If you want me to." Josh followed him to his room, jumping on Tyler's bed.

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to." Tyler explained, before ordering two pizzas.

"Sweet." Josh said and kicked his shoes off before lying down and closing his eyes. "Wake me up when the pizza's here."

 

It was after midnight when they decided to go to bed. They had been up talking for hours but now they were getting tired.

"I'm so glad we're friends." Tyler admitted when they walked to the bathroom to brush their teeth and get ready for bed.

"Aw, man." Josh smiled, hugging Tyler from the side. "I'm glad we're friends, too."

"Don't get me wrong, I love Chris and Mark and all the other guys, but they're not you." Tyler explained. "It's like you're my soulmate, honestly."

Josh laughed, looking at themselves in the brand-new mirror. "Dude, this is getting a bit gay right now."

Tyler leaned down and kissed Josh's shoulder just to annoy him. Josh blushed and giggled, shoving him lightly.

"You're ridiculous."

"And you're ridiculously hot." Tyler responded. "I mean, look at you. The hottest drummer on earth."

"Stop it, man." Josh said, blushing furiously. "You're not bad looking either."

Tyler grinned. "Thanks man. You know that's part of our friendship deal, right? A compliment a day."

Josh rolled his eyes. "It's the new mirror. It makes us look better."

"Sure." Tyler leaned closer to the sink. "There's some dirt on it."

He reached out to rub away the blurry spot, but instead of touching the glass, his fingers went right through it.

"What the heck?" Tyler mumbled when his hand disappeared behind the glass.

Josh stared at him with wide eyes. "What are you doing?"

"I don't know!" Tyler said, pulling his hand back to his chest.

"That's impossible." Josh said. "There's a wall behind the mirror, you can't just go right through it!"

"I know!" Tyler's voice cracked from fear and excitement. "But there's a room behind it or something."

Slowly, Josh reached out, just to see his hand disappear like Tyler's did a few seconds ago. "How is this possible?"

"I don't know!" Tyler said. He looked at his hand but there was nothing unusual about it.

"Hold on." Josh grabbed Tyler's toothbrush and threw it against the mirror. It disappeared behind the glass, and they heard it dropping to the floor.

"Hey! That was my favorite one!" Tyler yelled, but Josh shushed him.

"I think there's a secret room behind it."

"Are we high?" Tyler asked when Josh threw his own toothbrush through the mirror.

"No. This is real." Josh said, his voice shaking a little.

"I want to see what's behind it." Tyler said, stepping closer and reaching out.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Josh asked when Tyler's arm up to his shoulder disappeared.

"I'm going into this secret room. I want to know what kind of paranormal portal this is." Tyler explained.

"But it could be dangerous!" Josh exclaimed, trying to pull him back.

"I'm sure it isn't." Tyler said, pushing him away carefully. "Do you not want to know what's on the other side?"

"Sure, but…" Josh protested, but Tyler had already climbed onto the sink and was now halfway stuck in the mirror.

"Can you see something?" Josh whispered, staring at Tyler's ass and legs, the only thing that was left of him.

"No, it's all dark in here." Tyler's voice came back, echoing a bit. "But there's this white square in front of me that looks like a door. Hold on, I-"

He leaned forward and suddenly lost balance. Tyler fell into the mirror and Josh was too slow to catch him.

"Tyler!" he screamed.

A quiet groan came from the other side of the mirror. "Damn, I hit my head."

"Are you alright?" Josh asked, too scared to look through the mirror. He could only see his own reflection, his eyes widened in fear looking back at him.

He heard shuffling and cursing when Tyler hit his elbow. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's like a small hallway, you should come inside."

"Are you sure? What if we can't go back?" Josh asked, biting his lip nervously.

"We can go back." Tyler stuck his head back into the bathroom to prove it. Josh nearly passed out when he saw Tyler's head hovering in the air.

"Dude, you're really pale." Tyler said, concerned.

"Well, you're stuck in a mirror." Josh pressed out.

"I'm not stuck." Tyler explained, moving around some more. He grabbed Josh's wrist. "Come on, it's like climbing through a window. I want to see what's on the other side."

Josh groaned. "Why am I doing this?"

"You're the one who's talking about this weird stuff all the time." Tyler argued. "Come on."

Josh sighed and climbed onto the sink, sticking his head through the wall.

Tyler was right, everything was dark except the white square.

"Dude, where are you?" Josh whispered.

"Right next to you." Tyler said, reaching out to grab Josh's hands in the dark. He helped him to climb into the small room. Josh could feel the walls next to them, but they felt like nothing he had felt before.

"Are you ready?" Tyler asked quietly.

"Yeah." Josh swallowed.

Tyler squeezed his hand reassuringly before they both stepped through the white light.

 

Immediately, Josh's knees got weak. His head started spinning, and he realized he was losing consciousness. Their bodies suddenly felt heavier and for a second, Josh thought a part of him got teared away. Tyler was clutching his hand violently, he heard his friend gasp next to him when whatever it was went right through them, only to leave them weak and defenseless.

He still only saw the white light. It hurt his eyes and Josh closed them, but the brightness still burned behind his eyelids.

Josh felt his knees hit the floor, and he pulled Tyler down with him.

They fell down, Josh on the brink of passing out, and he was sure Tyler felt the same. It took them a few minutes of heavy breathing until they could move again.

Tyler was the first one to open his eyes. He looked along a brightly illuminated hallway. With a groan, he stood up. He was shivering and when he turned around, he saw Josh standing up as well.

"Where are we?" Josh asked, his voice trembling.

"I don't know." Tyler looked around. "It looks like we're in a house."

"But that's not your house, right?" Josh asked nervously.

"No." Tyler looked back and flinched when he looked at his own reflection. Behind them was a full length mirror.

"Look, we walked through another mirror." he said.

"Great. Can we go home now? I don't feel comfortable walking around in a stranger's house."

Tyler sighed, but then he agreed. "We can still come back another time." he said and wanted to walk through the mirror, but instead red drops of blood appeared on it, running down the glass.

"Shit." Tyler cursed, touching his injured nose.

"What happened?" Josh asked and turned Tyler around. He froze when he saw the blood run down from Tyler's nose, collecting at the corner of his mouth before dripping down his chin.

"I think I injured my nose." Tyler mumbled, staring at his bloody fingers. "Josh… I can't walk through it!"

"What?" Josh pressed his hand against the cool glass. It didn't move and his hand stayed on his side of the wall. "No… no!" he mumbled, running his hands over the bloody surface. He grabbed the frame of the mirror, trying to wiggle his fingers underneath it.

"There's a wall, Tyler. There's a freaking wall behind the mirror!" he yelled, desperately trying to pry the mirror away from the wall.

"I know." Tyler said and placed a hand on Josh's shoulder. "Josh, stop it. We can't get through."

"But we need to go back!" Josh started to hyperventilate.

"We can't. At least not now." Tyler said tiredly. His nose had stopped bleeding mostly, only a few more drops fell down on his shirt.

"Fuck." Josh stared at his own reflection, taking a shaky breath.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay." Tyler said, wrapping his arms around Josh's waist and pulling him into a tight hug.

"What if we can never go back?" Josh mumbled into his shoulder.

"We will. We'll figure it out." Tyler assured him. He took a step back to look at Josh. "I will take you back, I promise. For now, let's see where we are."

Josh nodded weakly, before they turned to look down the hallway.

Tyler took a deep breath and started to walk down the hall, Josh by his side. They passed a few rooms, all decorated nicely with modern and expensive looking furniture. In the middle of the house was a gigantic chandelier hanging from the ceiling, right above a spiral staircase that led them downstairs.

Josh walked towards the stairs when Tyler held him back.

"Josh…"

The drummer turned and saw Tyler peeking into a room. They stepped in and looked round. It was a bedroom with a big, wooden wardrobe and an unmade bed. But it was the picture on the wall that caught Josh's attention.

It was a picture of them. Tyler had his arm thrown over Josh's shoulder, and they were grinning widely, looking directly into the camera. Tyler looked the same as he did in real life, but Josh's hair was yellow instead of brown.

"We never took a picture like that." Josh said into the silence.

Tyler cleared his throat. "Yeah… and your hair, it's different. What's going on here?" He suddenly walked to the wardrobe, ripping the doors open.

"Josh, look." He pulled out the same Mickey Mouse shirt he owned. Except, his shirt was at home in the dryer. Or it should be. Tyler started to pull out clothes frantically. "These are my clothes!"

Josh stared at the pile on the floor. These were indeed Tyler's clothes. He could see the shirt Tyler had worn yesterday, the pair of skinny jeans he loved so much, even the shirt Tyler was wearing right now.

Tyler looked at it as if he had never seen in before. Then, he threw it into the closet, marching to the door and down the staircase. Josh hurried after him.

"What are you doing?"

"Finding out whose house it is." Tyler stated and stopped abruptly when he saw the piano. It stood in a small room, next to a bass and a few different instruments, but it was the same piano he had at home. He walked closer, inspecting it.

"It's my piano. It even has the scratch from where it got hit against the wall when Nick and Chris carried it down the stairs of the bar where we played a few days ago."

Tyler ran his fingers over the wood. The scratch was dark and looked way older than a few days. He straightened up, running his hand through his hair. "Let's see the rest of the house." His voice sounded hollow.

They walked around for a few more minutes. There was nothing interesting in the house, a kitchen, a big living room, even a small pool and a patio. The most disturbing thing were the pictures on the wall, showing Tyler on stage, but in front of crowds he had only dared to dream of so far.

Josh's heart dropped when he looked at a picture right next to one that showed Tyler with black hands and neck and a microphone in his hands.

The picture showed Josh on the same stage, behind the drums, without a shirt. He stepped closer and saw the words scribbled on the right bottom corner. _World's hottest drummer ;)_

"That's my handwriting." Tyler whispered. Josh flinched, he hadn't heard Tyler stepping behind him.

"And that's me. On the drums. On stage with you." Josh said, dumbfounded.

"Yeah. We're in a band." Tyler said. "But where's Chris and-"

A sharp ringing interrupted him, and they looked at each other with wide eyes. Then, they followed the sound, finding a phone on the table in the living room. The screen was lit up and Tyler could read Mark's name on it.

Hesitantly, he grabbed it, swiping his thumb over the screen to answer the call, then tapping on the speaker button.

"Hi Tyler, good morning, are you ready for today?" Mark's voice wavered through the room. "You know, I thought about it and I think it would be a good idea."

"Mark?" Tyler asked slowly.

"Yeah?" Mark answered. "Anyway, we could make some kind of documentary out of it, you know-"

"What are you talking about?" Tyler interrupted him.

"About the video of course." Mark responded in confusion. "We talked about it, remember? I'm going to film your process in the studio."

"Studio?" Tyler looked at Josh, but he seemed equally confused.

"Uh, yes? You're going to start recording the new album today… jeez, what's wrong with you, that's all you've been talking about lately."

"New album?" Josh repeated loudly.

"Oh, hi, Josh, I didn't know you were with Tyler. Can you please tell Tyler to stop joking and get ready? Our appointment with the producer is in 30 minutes."

"Uh, sure." Josh agreed. "We'll be there."

"Fine. I'll see you guys soon." Mark said.

Tyler flinched. "Hold on, what's the address of the studio?"

"Dude, I already texted you the address." Mark groaned. "I don't know what's going on, but you need to pull yourself together. See you." He hung up.

Tyler stared at the phone in his hands. "I'm so confused."

Josh shrugged. "Me too, man. Me too."

 

They managed to call a taxi that would drive them to the studio. Tyler changed into a clean shirt and threw on a jacket. Josh grabbed a beanie and a jacket from Tyler's clothes. They were sure it was the right thing to go to the studio. Tyler was convinced Mark could help them.

"We're still in Columbus." Josh said when they drove through the city.

"Yeah." Tyler looked out of the window. "Dude, are we in a band?"

"Well, you are. I'm not." Josh said.

"No, I mean… in this world." Tyler explained.

"This world?" Josh asked. "What do you mean?"

"This parallel universe. Or different world, or whatever. I mean, it's my piano, my house." Tyler sighed.

"I thought you didn't believe in supernatural things?" Josh said.

Tyler shrugged. "I don't know. I don't know where we are, who we are. I don't know what's going on."

He stopped talking, listening to the radio.

_"And now we hear Twenty One Pilots with their number one hit 'Stressed Out'. Their album dropped in 2015 and after that they sold out every show and became huge. They will be going on tour again soon, so we'll have to be patient. Still, we're really excited to see what comes next. People are speculating their new album will be dropping late 2018."_

Tyler glanced at Josh. "Dude, I think we're famous."

"Dude, I think we're in the future." Josh responded.

The taxi driver glanced into the rear mirror and Josh decided it was better to keep his mouth shut until they were alone again.

 

They arrived at the studio a few minutes later. Tyler spotted Mark before Josh did and he waved excitedly. Hopping out of the taxi, they both ran towards Mark, hugging him.

Mark raised an eyebrow. "…okay. Did I miss something?"

"I'm just happy to see a familiar face." Tyler explained.

"Hi, Mark." Josh said.

Mark cleared his throat. "Hi. Let's go inside, the producer is already waiting." His gaze lingered on Josh for a few seconds, before he turned. "Follow me."

"Should we tell him?" Josh whispered as they followed Mark.

"Later." Tyler mumbled.

They stepped into the studio room where a man was already waiting for them. He stood up to greet them and Tyler stopped breathing for a second.

"Paul Meany?"

"Uh, yeah." Paul smiled. "Hi again, Tyler. Josh, how nice to finally meet you."

Josh didn't know what to say, so he simply shook Paul's hand. Of course he knew him, he had been a fan of Mutemath for a long time.

"So, we're going to start with the Jumpsuit vocals today?" Paul asked. Tyler and Josh just stared at him.

"Yeah, that's the plan." Mark said. "Do you mind me filming sometimes? We want to make a few videos about the whole process."

"No, not at all." Paul nodded. "Okay, Tyler, are you ready?"

 

They didn't know how, but Tyler found himself in front of a microphone with headphones over his ears a few minutes later, Josh with Mark and Paul on the other side of the glass.

"Alright? Ready…. Go." Paul pressed a few buttons and suddenly heavy bass filled Tyler's ears. Fascinated, he listened to it.

Suddenly, Paul stopped the music. "Tyler? What's wrong?"

"That's so good!" Tyler said. "Who wrote this?"

Mark and Paul looked at each other.

"Very funny, Tyler. Can you please stop joking?" Mark said. He sounded a bit irritated. Josh didn't blame him. They were probably acting really weird.

"Okay, we'll try it again." Paul said, but Tyler didn't sing. Of course not, he didn't know the lyrics to this song he had never heard before.

"What's wrong?" Paul asked.

"I don't know what to sing. Who wrote this?" Tyler asked again.

"What is wrong with you guys?" Mark groaned, rubbing his eyes. "Tyler, this is your fucking song, so would you please sing your _own_ lyrics?"

"I wrote this?" Tyler sounded surprised.

"Of course you did." Mark hissed.

"No wonder it's amazing." Tyler said and grinned. "Josh, did you hear this bass line?"

"Yeah, it's fantastic." Josh agreed.

Paul looked incredibly confused while Mark groaned loudly again. "Okay, guys, can we talk outside for a second?"

 

|-/

 

_"Jeez, what happened?" Tyler asked._

_"I don't know." Josh pressed a hand to his chest, sitting up. They were in a bathroom he didn't recognize._

_"Where are we?" Tyler looked around. "This room looks oddly familiar."_

_Josh grabbed the snapback that had somehow ended up on the floor and put it back on his head, hiding his yellow curls. "Let's find out where we are."_

_He grabbed Tyler's hand and pulled him to his feet._

_"Oh man, this looks so much like my old house." Tyler mumbled, scratching his head. "That's scary."_

 

|-/

 

"Okay, what's going on?" Mark asked once they were outside, crossing his arms in front of his chest. He was a funny guy, never too serious and could definitely take a joke, but right now he was starting to get pissed. He knew Tyler and Josh could drag out their inside jokes for hours, and they didn't have time for that.

"I think we're in a parallel universe." Josh said.

"Oh my gosh, Josh, would please stop with your supernatural bullshit?" Mark said sharply.

Josh flinched.

"It's true." Tyler defended him. "We're not the Tyler and Josh you know."

"What are you talking about?" Mark asked.

"Josh, show him your hair." Tyler demanded.

Josh pulled the beanie off his head. Mark squinted his eyes.

"You dyed it black. So what?"

"He didn't dye it. Fuck, we're in the future!" Tyler said, tugging at his own hair.

"Are you kidding me right now?" Mark sounded incredibly annoyed. "Guys, we really need to start recording. Your 5th record is going to drop in October and there's still a lot of work to do."

"We're recording our 5th album? Are you serious?" Josh asked.

Mark huffed. "Stop pretending you didn't know!"

"We didn't! I told you, we've switched worlds with our older selves!" Tyler said.

Mark rolled his eyes. "Do you really think I would believe you?"

"Please, Mark, we're telling the truth, I swear!" Tyler said desperately.

"Prove it." Mark looked at him. "Show me your tattoos."

Tyler furrowed his brows. "My tattoos?"

"Yeah. Show them to me."

Tyler hesitantly took off his jacket. Mark stared at his bare arms, before he grabbed the hem of Tyler's shirt and started tugging.

Tyler shrieked and jumped back. "Fuck, what are you doing?"

"Geez, I just want to see the tattoos on your chest." Mark rolled his eyes. "I've seen you naked, dude. There's nothing to hide."

Tyler took off his shirt, shivering. Mark was quiet for a few seconds, before he turned to Josh. "What about your tattoos?"

"I have tattoos?" Josh asked in surprise.

"Heck, yeah. A lot of them."

Josh removed his jacket and Mark took a step back in shock. "Fuck."

"What year is it?" Tyler asked, pulling the shirt back over his head.

"March 2018." Mark said slowly.

"Well, it's 2010 where we live." Tyler responded.

Mark glanced at Josh. "You even have this ugly 2010 lip ring."

"Hey, it looks cool!" Josh protested.

"It doesn't. Your nose ring looks better." Mark said, his tone matter-of-fact.

"I don't have a nose ring."

"Well, 2018 Josh does." Mark snapped.

"Woah, Mark, calm down." Tyler said quietly. "I know this is weird, but let us explain what happened."

"Sorry, Josh. I'm all ears." Mark said with a sigh.

Tyler took a deep breath. "Well, Josh and I went to IKEA…"

 

|-/

 

_"That's my old house." Tyler said as they walked down the stairs._

_"Are you sure?"_

_"Yeah, I'm positive. You've been here so often, you should remember it."_

_"I'm still hoping I'm dreaming." Josh mumbled._

_They walked into the kitchen where they heard the clattering of a pan. Mark turned when they entered._

_"Good mor- woah. What happened to your hair Josh? Oh fuck, where do these tattoos come from?" Mark stared at them._

_"Mark! Is this my house?" Tyler asked._

_Mark nodded, dumbfounded. "Holy shit, what's going on?"_

_"We don't know." Josh said, rubbing his neck awkwardly. Tyler looked at the calendar on the wall._

_"Hold on. What date is it?"_

_Mark followed his gaze. "14 th of March 2010."_

|-/

 

"So you're 2010 Tyler and Josh?" Mark asked.

"Yeah." Tyler said. "We tried to go back, but we can't."

"What about present Tyler and Josh?" Mark asked. "Where are they?"

"Probably in 2010." Josh shrugged.

"Oh shit."

"Yeah, that's why we need your help."

"But I don't know how to help you!" Mark exclaimed. "How the hell am I supposed to know what to do?"

Tyler and Josh shrugged miserably. "Can you maybe fill us in, tell us what happened in the last eight years?"

"Uh, a lot happened." Mark sighed. "Where do I start? Are you already in the band, Josh?"

"No…" Josh said hesitantly. Was his secret dream to play music with Tyler going to be true in the future?

"Well, Chris and Nick left the band and Josh joined you. You released the album Regional at Best, got signed, released Vessel in 2013 and Blurryface in 2015. After that, you guys became famous and toured all over the world. Right now you're on hiatus to record your new album Trench." He halted, looking at Tyler.

"What's wrong?" the singer asked.

"Nothing." Mark shook his head. "It's just… Tyler would've said _'We never called it a hiatus'._ "

"I am Tyler. I'm still the same person. Just… younger." Tyler said quietly.

Mark sighed. "I know. It's just…weird. Anyway, Paul is waiting inside."

"We can't keep on recording." Tyler bit his lips. "I know nothing about the new record. I don't even know what it's about. Can we not record the record, or at least wait until the other Tyler is back? He knows everything, how the hell am I supposed to produce an album if I don't even know what kind of songs I wanted to write?"

"We should try to get back into the past." Josh agreed.

"But what about Paul?" Mark asked.

Tyler shrugged. "Tell him I got sick or something. We need to figure this out as soon as possible."

 

 

"I feel bad." Mark said as they walked to his car. "I told Paul you had a massive breakdown over the new album. I said it was the pressure. He was so concerned about you and told me to tell you to take a break to recover and take the time to think about everything. He wants you to be comfortable with the music you're producing."

"Aww, that's so sweet." Tyler said and shut the car door. "We'll try to get the old Tyler and Josh back as soon as possible."

"Let's go back to your house, maybe we can figure out what's wrong with the mirror." Mark said, starting the engine.

"Maybe it's some kind of one-way thing." Josh suggested.

"I doubt that. The others could get through as well, so why wouldn't they try to come back?" Mark asked.

"Maybe they haven't figured it out yet. They're probably confused as hell." Tyler sighed.

They kept quiet for a few minutes until Mark spoke up. "Guys, I was wondering… if this really is a parallel universe, how does it work? I mean, technically, you're in the future. But in reality, everything's happening at the same time. Or did it already happen?"

Tyler and Josh looked at each other, completely confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, what if there's some kind of butterfly effect? What if the other Tyler and Josh make a mistake in the past? It could change your entire future. It could change everything."

"That's exactly why we need to get back." Tyler said tensely.

 

|-/

 

_"You're from the future." Mark said in disbelief. "Am I dreaming?"_

_"Nope, it's real." Tyler tried to say cheerily, but failed. Everyone could hear the worry in his voice._

_"Wow. And you're really famous in the future?" Mark sounded impressed._

_"Yeah, we're celebrities now I guess." Josh shrugged. "But that's not important right now. We need to go back. Honesty, I don't want to relive eight years of my life."_

 

|-/

 

They arrived at Tyler's house and got out of the car.

"Crap, we don't have a key." Tyler as said they stood in front of the closed door.

"Don't worry, I have a spare key." Mark unlocked the door and they stepped in. "Can you guys show me where you came from?"

"Yeah, sure. It's upstairs."

They walked to the mirror. Mark gasped when he saw it.

"Holy shit, is that blood?"

"Uh, yeah." Josh showed a crooked smile. "Tyler walked against it with full force and his nose started bleeding."

Tyler waved dismissively. "It's fine. It doesn't hurt anymore."

"Okay." Mark touched the mirror. "Are you sure you walked through this?"

They both nodded. Mark started to examine the mirror and the wall for a few minutes, before he shook his head in disappointed. "I'm sorry, but there's no way to get through it."

"I know." Tyler sighed.

"Maybe we should get something to eat and think about other possibilities." Mark suggested.

Everybody could feel the gloomy mood when they sat in the kitchen, eating sandwiches.

"Maybe it's a spell and you need a password to get through?" Mark asked between his bites.

"I don't think so. We didn't need a password on our way here, we just climbed through it." Tyler said miserably.

"You said you felt something going through you on your way here. If the older Tyler and Josh got sucked into 2010 when you arrived here and this really is a one-sided mirror, then all we have to do is wait until Tyler and Josh on the other side climb through the mirror." Mark said, wiping the crumbs off his fingers.

"But it could take years! They don't know about the mirror!" Josh said in shock. "What if we're stuck in here for years? We're going to ruin the band! We're going to ruin our own future!"

"Another reason to find a solution as soon as possible." Mark said darkly. "But to be honest, your situation seems fairly dismal."

 

|-/

 

_"I think you guys should cover up your tattoos." Mark said. "I think it's better not to tell anyone else. We'll try to find a solution and try to keep it secret as long as we can, okay?"_

_Tyler and Josh agreed, too overwhelmed with the situation._

_Mark brought them two long-sleeved shirts and a beanie for Josh's hair. Tyler's shirt fitted perfectly, but Josh, who had gained a lot more muscles over the last years, found his to be really tight._

_"Did you work out?" Mark asked as he looked him up and down._

_Josh nervously rubbed his hands. "I started boxing. And drumming every night makes you pretty fit, too. Geez, it's been years since I've worn this shirt. I'm pretty sure I threw it away at some point."_

_"Right." Mark said with a sigh. "Can you, maybe, try to look as 2010 as possible? With the lip ring and stuff?"_

_"Oh my gosh, I totally forgot that you had a lip ring once!" Tyler said and started laughing. "Didn't you have straightened hair, too?"_

_Josh groaned. "Stop making fun of me. You didn't look that much better in 2010, okay?"_

_"Tyler looks the same." Mark said. "He hasn't aged over the last eight years."_

_"Hey, I can grow more facial hair now!" Tyler protested. "But believe me, Mark, you haven't much changed in the future, too."_

_"Glad to hear that." Mark mumbled. "Are we still friends in the future?"_

_"Of course. You're our content director." Tyler said._

_"Cool. We'll let's hope fetus Tyler and Josh also decide it's a good idea to talk to my future me."_

|-/

 

They didn't have a single idea on how to fix the situation and so after a long day of thinking, they decided to go to bed.

"Tomorrow is another day." Mark said. "I think it's better to catch up on sleep. We're too tired to think anyway. I'm going to sleep in your guest room, okay, Tyler?"

"Sure." Tyler agreed. "And, Mark- thank you for helping us… and believing us."

Mark smiled. "No problem, man. Sweet dreams."

 

"Are you going to sleep in my bed with me?" Tyler shyly asked Josh after Mark had gone to bed.

"Why are you nervous?" Josh asked. "We're having sleep-overs all the time."

"Well, I don't know how we handle things in the future." Tyler explained.

"Yeah, but we're still the same people. Just because we're in the future doesn't mean we have to change. And by the way, it seems like you think I'm still the world's hottest drummer." Josh said with a smile.

Tyler giggled. "That's true."

They walked to the bedroom and slipped under the covers after taking off their pants and shirts.

"It's weird, but I already miss being at home." Tyler whispered into the dark.

"You're at home." Josh mumbled.

"Yeah, but what about our families? They're almost a decade older now. Geez, I probably won't recognize Jay when I see him."

"People don't change that much over eight years. They're still our families. Besides, if we can find a way to get out of here, we might not even see them." Josh explained.

"You're right. Still, it's so weird to know what we have become."

"Does it make things easier? Knowing all the effort will pay off in the future?" Josh asked.

"I don't know." Tyler said quietly. "Now it feels like I don't have to fight anymore, knowing I will get famous. What about you? What do you think about being in the band now?"

"I think it's amazing." Josh said. "I've always wanted to be a part of Twenty One Pilots."

"Are you serious?" Tyler asked in disbelief.

"Yeah." Josh chuckled quietly. "I knew I wanted to play music with you the night we talked the first time."

"Why did you never tell me?"

Josh shrugged. "I didn't want to make you feel bad. You have Nick and Chris and I didn't want you to feel like you need to kick them out just to make me happy."

"Do you think that's the reason why they left? Because I kicked them out?"

"No." Josh said, reaching out and wrapping an arm around Tyler's waist. "It sounded like they left the band and you then asked me to join you."

"I hope you're right." Tyler sighed. "We can ask Mark. He'll know. Anyway, goodnight, Josh."

"G'night, Tyler." Josh mumbled, already drifting off to sleep.

 

|-/

 

_"Geez, I hate this thing now." Josh said. He stood in front of the mirror, fumbling with his lip ring. He had already taken out his nose ring and Tyler turned between his fingers._

_Josh noticed it and slapped his hand. "Stop it, this piercing belongs into my nose. You're going to get germs all over it."_

_Tyler carefully placed it on the sink. "How did we get into this bathroom this morning?"_

_"I don't know. Maybe it was teleportation or something. Ha!" Josh yelled triumphantly when the lip ring slipped into place._

_"But why did we end up here and not in the kitchen or the living room?" Tyler placed a hand on Josh's cheek and turned his head. "Oh dear, you really look like your younger self now."_

_Josh rolled his eyes. "Thanks a lot."_

_Tyler smiled and looked into the mirror. "I don't know, but something about it feels off."_

_"This room? It's just a bathroom, dude. Nothing weird about it."_

_Tyler shrugged. "It's just a feeling. Anyway, let's see if we can find Nick and Chris. I haven't seen them in a long time."_

 

|-/

 

It was early in the morning when Tyler woke up. Josh was still sleeping soundly next to him, so he sneaked out of the bedroom and walked down into the kitchen. He was surprised to see Mark sitting at the table with his laptop.

"Oh, hi. You're already up."

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep and decided to do some research." Mark explained, taking a sip of his coffee. "The IKEA where you bought the mirror doesn't exist anymore. They moved it to another location."

"That's it!" Tyler yelled. "We need to find the mirror! Then we can go back."

"I'm sorry to tell you, but the mirror broke three years ago. It fell down and shattered and you threw it away."

"Fuck." Tyler tugged at his hair in frustration. "We were so close! I don't know what to do now."

"Me neither." Mark admitted.

Josh entered the kitchen, walking towards the coffee machine.

"I thought you were still sleeping." Tyler said.

"I heard you talking." Josh grabbed a cup. "Did you have an idea?"

"No." Tyler sighed deeply. "We got nothing."

"By the way, I forgot to tell you guys, but you have a show tomorrow." Mark said.

"I thought we're on hiatus?" Tyler asked in surprise.

Mark grimaced. He wasn't used to Tyler using the word without his dripping sarcasm. "You are, but there's this radio station that begged you to play a smaller show. It's just an acoustic set, only a few songs off your last album."

"But I can't play these songs! I've never heard them before!" Tyler said.

"Right." Mark sighed. "I'll tell them to cancel it."

"No." Tyler took a deep breath. "We won't let our fans down. We're simply going to play some self-titled songs instead of the new ones."

"Are you sure? You rarely play these songs these days, everybody is going to be surprised."

"I don't care." Tyler said.

"Oh, they'll love it. Everybody wants you to play these old songs." Mark grinned. "Josh, are you in?"

Josh cleared his throat. "I've never played in Twenty One Pilots before."

"Oh, shoot, I forgot." Mark bit his lip.

"But I know how to play the songs." Josh admitted. "I've been practicing them secretly."

"Wow, really?" Tyler asked.

Josh blushed and nodded. "Yeah. I told you I'm a big fan of your band."

"Our band." Tyler corrected him. "It's our band now. We are Twenty One Pilots."

 

|-/

_"Tyler, there you are!" Chris appeared in the living room. "Did you think about the set tonight?"_

_"The set?" Tyler asked._

_"Uh, yeah, you have a show tonight. I forgot to tell you." Mark whispered._

_"Uh, right, the set." Tyler cleared his throat._

_"I think we should keep it the way we planned it." Chris said. "It would be too risky to play a new song, we need more practice beforehand."_

_"Yeah, I agree." Tyler blinked nervously._

_"Alright." Chris nodded. "I'll start to load the van." He left the room and Tyler looked at Mark in confusion._

_"We seriously have a show tonight?"_

_"Yeah, it's a small one." Mark said. "You know, just about 50 people."_

_"Geez." Tyler sighed. "Okay."_

_"Yeah, we're going to do this." Josh agreed._

_Mark bit his lip and looked at him in pity. "Josh… I'm sorry, man, but you're not in the band. Chris is the drummer of Twenty One pilots. He's going to play the show tonight."_

|-/

 

After a few hours of practice in the studio of Tyler's basement, Josh and he were sure they could do it. Tyler didn't know how to play the ukulele, so they decided to take the keyboard and the drums with them.

"Just say you changed your mind and wanted to do something special for tomorrow." Mark said.

"We got this." Tyler assured him, although he wasn't sure this was going to work. "We can think about the mirror later. Right now, it's important to play the show."

 

|-/

 

_"Do you want to come with us?" Tyler asked. "I know you can't play tonight, but I'd be really happy if you would be there. I need you there, man."_

_"Of course." Josh agreed. "Are you sure you can do it?"_

_"Yeah, I remember the show." Tyler said. "It was a good one. I think I can do it."_

_"It's going to be weird watching you play without me." Josh said quietly. "Just like the old days."_

_"We're going to get back, and then we're gonna rock the stages again. Just the two of us." Tyler promised. "Everything will be okay."_

 

|-/

 

The last evening had been pretty uneventful and now they were on their way to the radio station. No one had noticed that they were younger than they should be, they both hid their non-existent tattoos and Mark made sure no one of the crew spent much time with them.

Tyler, Josh and Mark kept everyone busy and distracted. They both were amazed by the fact that they weren't alone anymore. They had people working for them, people that set up their instruments, people that told them where to go, what they were going to do.

On the drive to the radio station, Tyler and Josh could see people waiting outside.

"Are These people fans?" Tyler asked.

"Yeah. You have a gigantic fan base. These kids love you, they are crazy, believe me." Mark said. "They are camping outside a venue days before your show. Very dedicated people."

"Damn." Tyler mumbled quietly. He looked over to Josh who was sitting next to him. He had been awfully quiet since they got up.

"Hey, are you okay?" Tyler asked quietly.

Josh nodded, his lips pressed to thin line. "Yeah, just nervous."

"Me too." Tyler admitted.

 

The host of the radio station was surprised to hear that they were going to play other songs, but he didn't mind.

"They're going to love it." he said, grinning widely. "This show will be a success, I know it."

"I hope so." Josh mumbled. He was really pale. Suddenly, he tugged at Tyler's sleeve. "Bathroom."

They raced to the closest bathroom, Tyler locking the door behind them while Josh fell on his knees in front of the toilet, gagging. He threw up and Tyler rubbed his back comfortingly.

"You can do it, I know it." he mumbled.

"What if I mess up?" Josh asked miserably, wiping his mouth.

"You won't. We've played together for years and we're really successful, so I'm sure you can do it." Tyler smiled sadly. "Josh, we're going to be fine. If you don't know what to play, just make things up. It doesn't matter if you don't play perfectly. We can always blame it on the fact that we haven't played this songs in years."

"You're right." Josh took a deep breath. "I can do it. If you believe in me, I do too."

 

|-/

 

_Being in the crowd and watching Tyler play on stage felt odd. Josh had a strong feeling of a déjà vu, although he knew it was happening for the first time in his life. He wasn't even sure if he had been to this particular show, but this wasn't even the weirdest thing._

_He was in between all these teenagers that sung along with Tyler, who obviously killed it on stage. These kids didn't know Josh, he wasn't famous yet. If Josh had gotten into the crowd like that in 2018, everybody would have screamed his name and tried to touch him._

_But this wasn't 2018, it was 2010 and right now he was a fan just like the others._

_Tyler looked at him every once in a while, as if he was trying to see if Josh was still here, supporting him. He looked almost sad that Josh wasn't on stage with him, but he played it down surprisingly well._

_Josh had to admit, the three of them were amazing, but he was sure his shows with Tyler were better. It just didn't feel right to him, seeing three people perform._

_Still, after feeling left out for a couple of minutes, he decided not to think about it  anymore and just enjoy the show. Tyler grinned widely when he saw Josh having the time of his life, jumping around and screaming the lyrics with him._

_Time rushed by, Tyler of course was better this time than all the shows he had played before, considering he had eight more years of practice. Still, he sang the songs with the same passion._

_It was a really good show and Josh couldn't get the smile off his face after it._

_"It was amazing. It was so much fun to watch you perform. I don't get to do it these days." Josh said when Tyler came off stage and hugged him tightly._

_"I'm glad I played the show." Tyler said. "It's good to be reminded of the past. The crowd was so small compared to the crowds we play for nowadays."_

_"Yeah, it feels so unreal." Josh agreed._

_"Are you hungry? We could drive to Taco bell and sit on the roof just like we did years ago." Tyler suggested._

_Josh grinned. "I'd love to."_

 

|-/

 

When they stepped on the small stage, everybody started screaming and clapping. Tyler looked around and recognized that a lot of the people were wearing Twenty One Pilots merch. The shirts were mostly red and black and probably represented their latest album.

He liked the aesthetic of it and thought that future Tyler was probably really good at making albums. They had listened to their own music for a few minutes before they went to bed last night and to be honest, Tyler and Josh were blown away by themselves.

They weren't arrogant, they simply didn't know they could write music like this.

When Tyler looked at all these unfamiliar faces, he was glad they didn't try to perform the newer songs. He wanted to know what he was singing about, wanted to get into the song when performing it, and he couldn’t do it if he didn't remember the song.

Clearing his throat, hoping no one would notice that his voice was slightly higher than usual, he started to speak.

"Hello everyone. You were probably told we'd perform some songs of our last album, but Josh and I decided to play some self-titled songs instead."

The fans started to whisper excitedly.

Tyler looked at Josh and smiled. "It's been a while since we played these songs, but we'll give you everything we can."

Then, he sat down at the piano and started to play the first song.

 

|-/

 

_Buying food at Taco Bell without getting recognized felt good. They grabbed the food and climbed onto the roof._

_It was one of their favorite spots, although it was not allowed to climb the fire escape._

_They sat down and started eating in comfortable silence._

_"Do you think we'll ever get back?" Josh asked._

_Tyler remained silent for a few seconds. "I don't know. I really don't know. I think we have to consider the possibility that we're going to be stuck here for the rest of our lives."_

_Suddenly, the air felt cooler and Josh started shivering. "But then we'll have to relive everything again. And we'll always be eight years older than everybody else. We will know what's going to happen, and we can't change a thing, because it could change everything in the end. Heck, I don't even know if going to Taco Bell was the wrong decision!"_

_"I know." Tyler sighed deeply. "It could change the way we write our music. It could change the band and it could change us. You know I wasn't in a very good place in 2010 and the following years. It took me a while to know how to deal with it. I don't want to go through this again."_

_"I feel the same." Josh rubbed his arms, trying to warm himself up. "I want to go back to 2018, Tyler. I don't want us to change."_

_"We won't let it happen." Tyler grabbed Josh's hands and looked into his eyes. "We'll find a solution."_

|-/

 

A few days went by and with every hour that passed, Tyler and Josh got more frustrated. They had tried everything to get through the mirror, but nothing worked. Slowly, they started to accept that the situation was hopeless.

"I never wanted to go through the mirror. Why did you make me follow you?" Josh asked when they sat on the couch in Tyler's living room, staring at the wall and trying to find a solution.

They both were sad and irritated, so it was no surprise they started fighting.

"I didn't make you. You followed me. How the hell was I supposed to know what would happen?" Tyler snapped.

"Well, I told you it could be dangerous! And now we're in the freaking future and don't know how to go back!" Josh growled.

"So you're saying it's my fault?!" Tyler jumped up.

"Well, yeah. 'Cause it's always you who makes me do things like this!" Josh said loudly.

"Are you fucking kidding me right now? You're the one who believes in time traveling and parallel universes and now you're trying to tell me you weren't curious?" Tyler asked angrily.

"I would have been more careful!" Josh spat back.

"Oh, right, because it's not like you're a grown up man who can make his own decisions. It's always my fault, right? Who knows, maybe we're not even friends anymore in 2018 and I can imagine why!" Tyler yelled. "Why are you blaming me and not the person who made this fucking mirror?"

"Well, if 2018 Tyler is an asshole just like you right now, I hope we're not friends in the future!" Josh shouted.

"Oh, fuck you, Josh!" Tyler growled and turned, stomping out of the living room.

 

|-/

 

_Tyler found Josh in the bathroom, staring at the mirror above the sink._

_"Hey." he said quietly, standing next to him._

_"Hey." Josh responded weakly. "This is messed up. I don't want this anymore, Tyler."_

_"I know. We just need to find out how to get out." Tyler let out a deep sigh._

_"There must be a way back." Josh said desperately. "We managed to travel through time, so we can manage to go back."_

_"Do you have an idea how?" Tyler asked._

_"No." Josh shook his head. "I don't know what to do."_

|-/

 

"Tyler?" Josh walked up to the singer.

Tyler stood in front of the mirror in the hallway, staring at his own reflection and the drops of dried blood on it. He sniffed and wiped his nose when Josh stepped closer and Josh saw he was crying.

"Hey." he said softly, standing behind Tyler and looking into the puffy eyes of Tyler's reflection. "It's going to be okay."

"No." Tyler pressed a hand over his mouth when a sob escaped his lips. "It's not."

Josh sighed and rested his chin on Tyler's shoulder. "I'm sorry for yelling at you. I didn't mean it." he whispered. "You're still my best friend in the whole world. 2010 or 2018."

"I'm sorry too." Tyler said quietly, wiping his tears away. "I'm just so scared."

"I'm scared, too." Josh blinked and Tyler could see he was close to crying, too.

Tyler placed a hand on the cold glass, feeling his heart drop when, of course, he couldn't go through it. "I just want to go home." he whispered.

 

_"I hate it here. I never thought I would hate my past, but now I do." Tyler said, reaching out to touch the mirror with his fingertips._

_Josh nodded. "I hate it, too. I'm so sad all the time, I just want to see everybody from 2018 again."_

_Tyler bit his lip. "I want to go home, Josh."_

"I really, really wish I could be at home right now." Tyler said and closed his eyes.

"I want to go home… _I want to go home…_ "

 

Again, it felt like something went right through them and then as if a part got ripped out of their bodies. Josh gasped for breath, holding onto Tyler as his eyes shut unwillingly and his knees buckled. He was pretty sure he heard Tyler scream his Name when an invisible force pulled them towards the darkness.

 

|-/

 

"Tyler? Josh?" Mark's voice interrupted the white noise in Josh's head. He groaned and blinked tiredly.

"Mark?... What happened?"

"I don't know, I heard Tyler screaming your name." Mark knelt next to them, shaking the singer. Tyler sighed deeply, his eyelids fluttered for a few seconds before he looked at his friend.

"Crap, Mark, where are we?" he mumbled.

"In your bathroom." Mark explained. "It looks like you passed out… holy shit!"

Josh sat up quickly, gasping when his head started spinning. "What's wrong?"

"Your tattoos! They're gone! Oh my gosh…" Mark looked at them in shock. "Your hair…"

"Mark, what are you talking about?" Tyler asked.

"You're back. Guys, you're back!" Mark yelled and pulled them into a hug.

"We were never gone." Tyler furrowed his brows.

"It worked! I don't know how you did it, but it worked! You're in 2010 again." Mark grinned widely.

"I don't understand." Josh was confused.

"You traveled through time and now everything's the way it should be." Mark explained. "I'm so happy to have my Tyler and Josh back!"

"Dude, you're crazy." Tyler shook his head. "You're talking nonsense."

"We didn't travel through time." Josh said. "You must've been dreaming."

"You don't remember?" Mark stared at them. "You've been gone for almost three days!"

Tyler laughed. "Yeah, right. I adore your imagination, Mark. I'm starving, can we order food now?"

Mark looked at them in bewilderment before he shrugged. "Believe it or not. But there's one more thing I have to do."

Tyler and Josh rolled their eyes in unison.

Mark grabbed the tooth mug next to the sink and threw it against the mirror. The glass shattered and sharp pieces of glass dropped into the sink.

"What the heck? What are you doing!?" Tyler yelped.

"The right thing. I'm doing the right thing." Mark said.

 

|-/

 

_In 2018, Mark grabbed the stone he found in Tyler's garden and threw it against the full-length mirror in the hallway._

_Nothing felt as good as hearing the glass shatter into a million pieces._

 


End file.
